Detained robbery suspect pleads not guilty, says he’s not pro-FETÖ

Detained as part of an investigation into the robbery of TL 128,000 [$34,000], Turkish man, known by initials V.P., said he has done nothing wrong, saying that he has not linked to the Gülen movement.

“Did we commit murder? Are we pro-FETÖ? We did nothing wrong, what did we do?” V.P. told reporters while police escorted him to the courthouse.

V.P. was detained as part of an investigation over hijacking of TL 128,000 from Ali Subak and his son Ercan Subak in İstanbul’s Esenyurt on March 2. V.P. along with some other suspects whom police have yet to locate, grabbed a bag from A.S.’s hands after the latter got out the land registry office in Esenyurt, according to Ali.

“FETÖ” is an abbreviation for the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization, coined by the Turkish government to label the movement as a terrorist organization. The government accuses the movement of masterminding a July 15 coup attempt in Turkey.

Accusing the movement of anything bad is nothing new in Turkey as top state officials as well as criminals and suspects also pin the blame on the movement for crimes, negligence and sometimes wrongdoing.

Sentenced to 19 years in prison for his ex-wife’s murder, Turkey’s infamous mob boss Alaattin Çakıcı earlier claimed that judges and prosecutors affiliated with the movement blocked a fair trial in his case.

Deputy Prime Minister Nurettin Canikli also suggested alleged links between the movement and the recent downgrade in the country’s sovereign debt rating by Moody’s.